Cantilever shelves in bathroom

I am remodeling the spare bath in our house and a couple weeks ago my wife found a design mag with this picture in it. She wants me to incorporate this half wall and the cantilevered shelves coming out of the wall just above the half wall. Good news is there was already a half wall in place, but I cannot figure out how these shelves were attached and made to look like they are coming out of the part of the wall above the half wall. I have also attached a picture of original half wall framing. How are the shelves attached? I know the shelves can only bear a little weight, but from the picture I cannot see any way that they were attached. I am thinking the shelves only look like they are imbedded in the wall, but rather they are "U" shaped with the "arms" of the "U" fitting over the wall and screwed in place. I am thinking counter sunk screws and plugs were used after the framing and drywall were in place. Do I notch out the framing to accept the shelves and to bear some load? Nothing more than trinkets, hand towels, candles, water glass or whatnot will be placed on these shelves. If you have any ideas, I am all ears.

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Cantilever shelves in bathroom

my wife found a design mag with this picture in it. She wants me to incorporate this half wall and the cantilevered shelves coming out of the wall just above the half wall.

If they are not actually embedded in the wall in the picture then the shelf is actually U shaped like you said and not really cantilevered. Looking at the underside of the shelves confirms that they are made of four pieces.

In that case, two screws in each of the 'side pieces' will allow a pretty heavy load on these shelves but there have to be studs to receive these screws inside the wall. Then you use wood plugs to hide the screw heads.
Use #10 screws or larger because the shearing forces on them will tend to twist them out of wall, one bending up and the other bending down, and they will not get support from the half-inch of drywall that they go through.